News from Day 4 of the 2014 World Masters Indoor Championships in Budapest
Written by Bridget Cushen on 3/30/2014
At the conclusion of Day 4 of the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships in Budapest, British Masters ranks 2nd on the medal table behind the large German team. The women’s team led by All-rounder Carole Filer, multi W65 Age Group record breaker Angela Copson and the heavy racing schedule of Clare Elms have added to the largesse. In excellent 800m finals where sub-2 minutes was necessary for victory in the M35, M40 and M45 age groups, M35 James Thie drew away on the final lap to win (1.53.56) from Wilfredo of Venezuela (1.54.00) and Gil of Spain (1.54.3). M40 Tony Whiteman looked comfortable in his 1.52.60 victory well clear of the Spaniard Raul Aragon as Mike Toal came through in the home straight to take the bronze ahead of another Briton Richard Scott. John Newcombe took the M60 title. Clare Elms set a Championships record in her W50 2.21.27sec victory. There were wins also for W55 Laura Mahady and W65 Angela Copson. Bernadine Pritchard narrowly lost out to the American Charmaine Roberts 2.26.61 to 2.26.77sec and Helen Reynolds finished 3rd in the W35 final.
More medals were to follow in the 200m where European outdoor champion, M40 Darren Scott ran an excellent 23.19. 27 sprinters entered the W35 event where the British and European outdoor champion, Ellena Ruddock (25.50sec) held off a determined effort from the Spaniard, Caroline Garcia and Lesley Owusu. Alan Mellett made it a championship double taking the M80 title here. M60 Alasdair Ross was again headed by the American Olympian, Bill Collins, W Franklyn finished 5th. Also making the victory rostrum were M70 Terry Bissett 3rd, M35 Richard Beardsell 3rd and M50 Pat Logan. Caroline Powell was 2nd in the W60 race, W75 Dorothy Fraser 2nd. W55 Averil McClelland 2nd, Carol Filer 3rd and Joan Trimble 6th made it another three Britons in a final. W40 Sharon Greenwood collected a bronze medal.
Mother and son were in action in the outdoor field events with mother, Carole Derrien, upstaging her sprog Mark who was 6th in his event, by winning the W75 discus throw.